Checklist for new students
Starting your studies and a new stage in life is obviously the best thing ever, but it is not necessarily easy. For this reason, we made you a small checklist to help you get a smooth start to your studies!
- Accept your student place
- Find an apartment
- Apply for student aid and the housing supplement from Kela
- Register for attendance and pay the Student Union’s membership fee
- Pay the health care fee for higher education students to Kela
- Get your student card from Frank
- Activate your University user account
New in Finland?
Don’t worry! We’ve gathered all the information you need about the student union for international students. Joining HYY is voluntary for exchange students, but we encourage you to join us! As a member, you get access to student benefits all over Finland, and we can better safeguard your rights as a student in Finland.
Order your student card
Once you have registered for attendance and paid HYY’s membership fee, you can order a student card from the Frank service. Frank’s website also features hundreds of student discounts you can access by registering for the online service.
Please note that you can only order a student card or activate the digital student card once the new academic year begins in the autumn!
Our Survival Guide makes student life smoother
If you are worried about academic freedom, read our survival guide for students to ease your mind. The guide provides answers to questions you may have about subsistence, housing, public transport, health and wellbeing.
Studying is about more than just lectures!
HYY's events
Do you want to meet students from all campuses, get to know organisations over disciplinary boundaries and enjoy communality on the University’s campuses, on city streets, in parks and in nightclubs?
Committees working for common good
Our committees focus on brainstorming and realising the activities of HYY’s different sectors. This translates into organising events, supporting organisations, conducting advocacy work related to educational policy and developing our University community, for instance.
Make new friends and try new activities in organisations
There are over 250 organisations operating under HYY, including subject and faculty organisations, student nations and hobby organisations of all kinds!
UniSport – University community's own sports center
UniSport offers affordable sports and wellness services for the university community – whether you want to channel your energy at the gym, challenge your friends to badminton or calm your mind with restorative Hatha yoga.
UniSport is a jointly owned provider of sports and well-being services of the University of Helsinki, Uniarts Helsinki, Hanken School of Economics and Aalto University. UniSport welcomes everyone as they are.
UniSport membership and services
With the affordable UniSport membership, you can enjoy various kinds of exercise, including gyms, group exercise and ball game groups, available at UniSport sports centres, on campuses and via remote connections. UniSport also offers massages, various courses, personal training services, etc. As a member of the university community, you can use UniSport’s break exercise services free of charge.
The first visit is free of charge to all new customers!
Read more about UniSport services:
Free break exercise services
Follow the Student Union to keep up to date
HYY’s member newsletter is sent to your email every other week during academic terms! You can also follow HYY’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.